In the Wake
by whitephoenix18
Summary: He remembers the first time he ever really saw her. It was raining that day and she was dressed in black. This is a short story involving Sasuke and Tenten. (Sasuten)
1. The Funeral

Hello! This is the first time I have ever really tackled a subject like this. I hope that I did this story justice and that you enjoy reading this.

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He remembers the first time he ever really saw her. It was raining that day and she was dressed in black. He remembers how she was surrounded by so many people but yet look so a lone, so isolated.

That day they were gathered to mourn the loss of a great man. A hero who died protecting his comrade. Sasuke couldn't recall when he noticed her but his eyes never left her once he did.

Her expression, her stance spoke of a strong woman bearing the pain but her eyes betrayed how badly she wanted to break. She was his wife. They were only married a year.

 _It was cruel._

Many people spoke of the man's greatness. One after the other, she had to listen to all the words of kindness and sorrow that they offered to her as if it would lift away the any pain she felt. Even as they put his body in the ground and handed her the flag, they whispered words their cruel words to her. But her strength remained through it all.

Sasuke watched as they ushered her to the car with his family. The door closed and like that Tenten Hyuuga, wife to the late Neji Hyuuga, was gone. A year passed and Sasuke thought about that woman every day since then.

"Teme." A hand slammed down on his shoulders drawing his thoughts away from her. Since he left the military Sasuke had been living alone, and there was only one person who had a key to his apartment. "You still coming tonight?" Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, his best friend and in a way his brother, who was wearing a stupid grin on his face as waited to hear his reply.

"Yeah, I'm coming Dobe." Sasuke didn't think his grin could get any wider but somehow Naruto managed it. Coming around the couch, Naruto plopped down into the matching dark armchair that resided next to the couch.

"Good. Otherwise Hinata would have your head for not coming." Sasuke stiffen at his comment. Naruto had been dating Hinata Hyuuga for almost three years now and she was probably the most innocent person Sasuke has ever met. However, any woman that can stand to be in a relationship with Naruto for as long as she has was a woman to be respected. Besides, the party was really a memorial for Neji and Sasuke knew of how close Hinata had been to her cousin.

"….and with Tenten coming-" Sasuke ears perked at the mention of her name. Sasuke would never admit that he had droned Naruto out for a second but at this moment he didn't really care.

"What?" Sasuke interrupted him. Naruto threw him a confused look.

"Tenten, you know, Neji's wif- I mean widow." Naruto caught his mistake quickly. Sasuke cringed internally at his mistake. Even though it had been well over a year since his death, Neji had been their Captain in the military and his death let a scar in all of them. Especially for Naruto.

Sasuke had only encountered Tenten handful of times before the funeral. He even vaguely remembers Neji introducing them once before at a military party, but now the only image Sasuke could recall was of the one in black. After the funeral Tenten had returned home to China. Neji's team offered to help her any way they could but she refused. No one, as far as Sasuke knew, had kept in contact with her. So, her to be coming to memorial shocked him.

"Hinata told me a week ago that she agreed to come. Apparently she returned state side about a month ago. I think she is even back in the city." Naruto continued. Suddenly it made sense to Sasuke. Of course Hinata would have kept in contact with her.

Sasuke released breath he didn't know he had been holding. He needed a drink. "Wanna beer?" He offered to his companion.

"Dude, its like one in the afternoon." Naruto replied, looking at his watch.

"Hasn't stopped anyone before." Sasuke remarked back as he got up to head to the kitchen. He really needed that drink.

"Sure, what the hell. You got any chips too?" Naruto shrugged. Sasuke scowled at his greedy friend but gave in all the same. When he returned to the living room, he had two beers and a bag of Naruto's favorite chips. He placed the beers down on the small coffee table and threw the bag at Naruto. "Yea!"

 _Dumbass._ Sasuke thought with a smirk. He sometimes wonders how he ended up being friends with such the idiot but immediately remembers why he wouldn't trade him for anything. Naruto was his brother, his friend, and his comrade. He maybe an idiot, but he was his idiot.

"So…" Sasuke said as he returned to his spot in the middle of the couch. "When do we need to head over?"

"Hinata said to be back by four to help finish setting up." Naruto mumbled out through the chips while grabbing the television remote.

"Hn." Sasuke responded as he reached for the beer before him. Taking a big gulp, Sasuke watched as Naruto flipped through the endless channels. It didn't take long before his thoughts slowly began to return to the woman who has haunted his thoughts for the past year.


	2. The Memorial

The apartment was up in arms as people scurried about in preparation for the party tonight. Naruto pushed through the chaos to try and locate Hinata. Sasuke followed close behind him .

"Naruto!" A soft voice exclaimed from across the apartment. Hinata was in the kitchen with her sister. Sasuke recalled that her name was Hanabi but he truthfully only met the sister once before.

"Hina!" Naruto waved at her, his face lighting up when he saw her. The two men made their way over to the elegantly dressed women. "Sorry that we are late. We kind of lost track of time." Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his head as he spoke. Hinata raised her eyebrow at the both of them and then glanced at her sister. She sighed and walked around the counter to Naruto. Placing a quick peck on his cheek she replied. "Actually, your early. I only told you four because I knew the two of you would lose track of time while having that drink."

Naruto gave his girlfriend a shocked look before giving a sheepish grin in guilt to being caught. He returned the peck on her forehead as her pulled against his chest. Sasuke turned his gaze from the couple to give them some privacy. He glanced at Hanabi and greeted her with a nod which she returned.

"So boys." Sasuke looked back to Hinata. "Now that you are here, do you think you could give me a hand moving some chairs to the balcony? It is the last thing big thing that has to be done before tonight."

"Sure." Naruto replied. Hinata glanced to Sasuke for his answer which he replied with a nod. She smiled brightly before taking them over to the chairs that need to be moved.

After they finished, Naruto and Sasuke found a nice quiet spot to sit that was out the way. With another beer in hand that Naruto manage to swipe from the fridge, the two waited. Naruto chatted away and Sasuke listened. The time passed quickly and guest began to drift in. Old comrades, their girlfriends/wives, and people that had been close to Neji throughout his life had been invited. Naruto and Sasuke had separated at some point and began to mingle among the guests.

"Uh. Excuse me!" The group quieted down as Hinata spoke." I think everybody is here now. So…I want start with thanking all of you for coming tonight." Hinata nervously searched for the right words. "We came here tonight to remember a good man." Her voice cracked. "Neji wasn't the easiest person to get to know. Not that he made it easy on anyone to do that. But, the fact that you are all here today means that it wasn't impossible." Sasuke could see that she began to struggle. Naruto quietly stepped up behind her and grabbed her hand. "To me he was a beloved cousin. To some of you he was a soldier. A captain. A friend. A mentor." Hinata paused and glanced to the corner of the room. Sasuke's gaze followed hers and for the first time in over a year he saw her. Tenten Hyuga.

"And to some he was more. Tonight isn't about mourning him but instead to celebrate his life. So please." Hinata grabbed a glass from a nearby table and raised it in the air. "To Neji."

"To Neji!" Glasses were raised high in the air and voices cried out in unison but Sasuke's gaze was fixed on the woman in the dark blue dress who's head was turned down. Then as if the flood gates had been released the crowd dispersed and he lost sight of her. Sasuke twisted around to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. Nothing. No sign at all of the brunette.

"Sasuke!"

He turned towards the voice that called out to him. He found Sakura Haruno pushing through the crowd to him with a wine glass in hand. The last time he saw his former girlfriend was almost three months ago.

"It has been a while. How have you been?" She asked. Sasuke shrugged in response and she grimaced at the man. "Still a man of few words."

"Isn't that why we broke up." Sasuke muttered quietly. However, the words didn't evade Sakura's ears.

"Yeah, and it is why I am now sleeping with your brother." She snapped quickly back at him. Sasuke flinched slightly at her words. After they had broken up, Sakura had gone out with one or two guys but none of them really worked out. Then, a little over a year and a half ago at one of Hinata's gathering while Naruto and Sasuke had been deployed Sakura had reunited with Itachi. Since then the two have been inseparable. She even followed him overseas. Sasuke can still recall the awkward phone call with Itachi when he broke the news to him that he was dating Sakura. Not that he really cared. If she was going to be happier with him, and if his brother was happy with her then who the hell was he to stop them.

"How is my brother doing?" He asked.

"Busy. But you would know that if you called more often?" She sarcastically remarked.

"Well sorry if some of us are busy running the family business here." Sakura smiled at his comment and pulled him into a one arm hug.

"That's why you have Naruto helping you, you ass." Her voice was soft as she whispered into his ear. Sasuke pulled away quickly. "Speaking of which, where is that fool?" Sakura continued unfazed by Sasuke's reaction. She brought the wine glass to her lips.

"Probably with Hinata. I doubt he will leave her side tonight." Sasuke knew that Hinata would need him by her side tonight.

"What about you?" Sasuke raised a brow in question to what she meant. "It has been almost three years Sasuke since we broke up and you have been a civilian for almost eleven months now. Is there no one's side that you would rather be beside right now?"

Tenten flashed through his mind for the briefest moment. He shook his head but the look in her eye told him that she didn't believe him.

"Okay… Well I am going to see if I can catch Hinata for a moment? I will have to leave soon because I have a early flight back and I would hate to go back without seeing her." Sakura turned and left Sasuke to his own devices.

The next few hours were spent talking with old friends from his military days with most of that time being spent with Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru was still in the military but had moved over into intelligence a couple of months after Sasuke and Naruto left the military. The two reminisced about the old days, retelling old war stories and Sasuke listened to new ones but every once in a while he found himself drifting his eyes to the area around him searching for her. It was almost midnight when he finally broke away from the group to get some fresh air.

He figured the balcony would be empty and decided that it would be the best place for a quiet moment. As he approached the glass double doors he noticed a figure was already out there.

 _Tenten…_

He pushed the door open and walked out into the cool night. She flinched at his quiet entrance but after glancing him up and down she returned to leaning against the railing. Sasuke watched as her gaze drifted back across the city, her hands folded out in front of her. Strands of hair fluttered around her face in the gentle breeze. She reminded him of someone who was thinking of the everything and nothing all at once.

Sasuke turned his gaze from her and stepped over to the railing. He leaned his hip against it and looked out to the city. Below, cars passed by and the faint voices of people walking past could be heard. But, to Sasuke it was just absent noise. His mind was on the lone woman beside him. The woman who refused to shed a tear at her own husband's funeral. His gaze turned back to her.

"You were one of his teammates, right?" Tenten beat him to the punch and surprised him in the process. "You posture screams military." The way she said it made Sasuke shifted uncomfortably at that the thought of how obvious it was, not that she meant any harm.

The two stood in silence. Tenten never bothered to look at him and Sasuke couldn't stop looking at her. He gazed over inch of her face as if the answer to the burning question of why he couldn't thinking about her existed upon it. Instead all he discovered how well her almond colored eyes complimented her long rich chocolate hair. That her sun kissed skin was uneven and that at the edge of her jawline was a little faint scar. An old one that never quite healed.

"…I am sorry."

Sasuke onky had to whisper the words and it was as if the world froze for just a second. Tenten knew it was coming, but it never seemed to get any easier. She pushed herself upright. Her hands griped the railing but her gazed remained forward. Sasuke watched as her chest began to rise in shallow breaths, as if she was struggling to breath.

 _Stop. Breathe._

"Holding it in will only make it worse." He stated bluntly without a second thought, instantly regretting it.

 _Well shit…_

"What the hell would you know about it?!" She hissed as she turned to face him for the first time. As her eyes caught his gaze, she wanted nothing more than to take back the words. The look in his eye was one Tenten knew well because she saw it everyday in the mirror. It was the look of the deep, unspeakable pain. The pain of a boy who lost his parents to soon. The pain of a lover who now sleeps in a cold bed. The pain of unspoken words, and of harsh ones. The kind of pain that could haunt a soul for eternity. For Tenten, looking at Sasuke was like looking at a mirror of herself.

Sasuke didn't know what to say and decided that it would be best to just leave. He stepped towards the door to turn to head back in, cursing at himself internally.

"Wait!" Tenten reached her hand out in front of him to stop him. The action surprised him. After her reaction to his comment, this was the last thing he would have expected from her. "I am sorry…Neji always said that I had a temper…sometimes I just react without thinking." Her words tumbled out as her gaze danced across the floor as she searched for the right words. As she waited for Sasuke to do something, anything really, her teeth grazed across her lower lip. Despite the tension, Sasuke couldn't help but notice of how cute looked she right now.

"I should have put it better."

Tenten nodded slowly. Her lips pursed together, not really knowing how to respond. Her gazed flickered to everywhere but to him. She couldn't bring herself to look at him just yet.

"You know, don't you?" Tenten voice was soft. Sasuke didn't need ask to know what she was speaking about.

"My parents died when I was ten. Car accident." Sasuke spoke blankly.

"Shit, I am sorry. I..." Now she was the one lost for words.

"I guess we both assholes." Sasuke chuckled at his own remark and Tenten couldn't help but smile a little bit. The tension was still there but now it seemed softer. "Would you like a drink?" Sasuke asked. Tenten sighed in relief.

"I would love a drink. A beer would be great." Tenten smiled softly. Sasuke gave a quick nod before turning to find themselves a drink.

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I will admit that I struggled to right this chapter, particularly the Tenten and Sasuke bit. I probably rewrote like five time before it seemed to fit for me. Let me know what you think. Reviews are always welcomed.


	3. The Chance

Within a short time, Sasuke was stepping back out onto the balcony. Tenten had moved away from the railing and was now sitting in one of the chairs that Sasuke and Naruto had moved out their earlier. Sasuke took the seat next her and handed her the drink. Her fingers grazed over his as she took it from it.

"So, tell me about him?" Sasuke asked. Tenten, in the middle of sipping her beer, threw Sasuke a puzzled look. She pulled the bottle away from her lips and finished swallowing the cool liquid.

"He was your captain. I think you knew him pretty well." Tenten remarked sarcastically. She took another swig of her drink. Sasuke just stared out at the city.

"Yeah but I only knew the soldier. I didn't know the man that came home to you." Sasuke took a long sip of his beer.

"...Neji was intense." Tenten hesitated, her free hand reaching up to grasp at something near her neck. The action drew Sasuke's gaze to her and for the first time he noticed the simple chain around her neck that carried two silver bands. "Neji and I meet through a martial arts tournament. My family had recently moved to the states because of my father's job and martial arts was all I had of home." Tenten smirked to herself. "He kicked my ass. The smirk on his face. I had never wanted to hit someone so badly. But after our match he approached me and asked where I trained. We must have spent the rest of the day just talking about technique." This time the pause was different. It was if the world went quiet for a second, waiting for the words to leave her lips. "Fifteen years. Fifteen years just gone…I miss him soo much. I keep praying that he will just walk through the door and that everything would have been some big misunderstanding or something. But that is never going to happen." Maybe it was because Sasuke was a stranger or that he reminded Tenten a little bit of Neji, but she couldn't stop the single tear that carved a path down her cheek. It was as if a dam broke and the tears came like a rain storm. "Sorry." Tenten tried to reach up to erase the tears but Sasuke's grasp stopped her. She looked to the man sitting next to her in confusion.

"Don't be." He murmured. His hand still firmly wrapped around hers, he shifted out of the chair to kneel in front of her. Then with his other hand, he reached up brushing his cool fingertips across her cheek interrupting the flow of tears. Cautiously, he cupped his hand to the side of her face and slowly pulled her to his shoulder. She didn't resist. Instead the world just fell away. Everything that was inside of her. The pain. The sadness. The longing. It all just came out.

Time was lost too them. Even when the tears stopped, they just remained like that in silence. When they finally pulled away, it was because another guest had come out to let them know that the others where beginning to head out. They pair stood up and Sasuke guided her to the glass doors but right before she reached them she stopped.

"Sorry about that." Tenten once again apologizing to Sasuke.

"You should stop apologizing." Sasuke stated bluntly.

"Then what should I do?" Tenten replied quickly, turning around to face him. Sasuke didn't even hesitate. "You should smile more. A smile looks good on you." Tenten gaped at him.

"Are you hitting on me?" Tenten was stunned and Sasuke only shrugged. "Isn't there some code about hitting on widows or do they become free game after a certain amount of time?" Her voice was almost joking. Sasuke gave her a look that seemed to question her sanity.

"I am only speaking the truth." Was the only answer he gave her. Tenten couldn't decide if she wanted to believe him.

"Why?" The question had burned in her since he left to get the beers. Sasuke, unsure of what she meant, raised an eyebrow. "Why talk to me? Why even ask? Most people would just glide by me but you stayed and listened."

"Because no one should have to be that strong alone." Sasuke paused, trying to find the right words. "The path that it takes you down isn't the easiest one. My brother and I went down that very same path and the only thing it did was make him a workaholic and made me a bastard growing up. At the funeral, everyone seemed to lean on you but who did you lean on? Who was there to catch you?" Tenten watched as he spoke, taking in every word.

"Well then, I guess I should thank you instead." Tenten held out her hand. Sasuke dropped his gaze to it and slowly reached up to grasp it. "You know, we have been talking this entire time and I don't even know your name. Funny how that worked out."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Tenten Hyuga."

Their hands fell away from each other as the door slide open.

"Hey teme! Shikamaru is heading out now with Temari. I figured you would want might to say goodby before he heads out." Naruto spoke enthusiastically, oblivious to his interruption. Sasuke just shook his head at his best friend.

"Yeah, give me a sec." Sasuke replied. Naruto just grinned like an idiot at him before closing the door. Sasuke looked back to Tenten. "I should go"

"Yeah. See you around." Tenten side stepped to let him go first. However, Sasuke wasn't going to let her words go to waste.

"Would that be okay?" He asked. Her head jolted up to meet his eyes. "To… see you again?" Tenten could only a short nod but it was enough for Sasuke. For just a second, his face soften and Tenten could help but notice the tiny up curve of his lips that now rest on his face. "I have to go to see Shikamaru but after I will see if I can find something write with and some paper."

Tenten nodded once and again, and Sasuke returned it before heading in. It wasn't long before Sasuke returned and the two exchanged information, and with that their said their goodbyes and departed from each other.

 _8 months later_

The newest project had Sasuke working overtime for the past straight week. Naruto and him barely left the office and it was usually only for food or to sleep at home. He couldn't remember the last time he stepped away from his desk this morning but if he wanted to make it he would have to try to accomplish what he could now.

Naruto stepped into the office. " Hey, do you have that file?" He asked. Sasuke paused, thinking through Naruto's question for a second.

"Dobe, do you want to be more specific?" Sasuke just glared at the man in the doorway.

"The Atashi file." Naruto thought it would have been oblivious considering it was the file they had been working on all morning. Sasuke paused realizing his mistake. He scanned over his desk and just under some other paperwork to the left of him was the file. He pulled it out and held it out for him to take. Naruto stepped over to grabbed it, watching his best friend return back to his work. Naruto had notice the intensity of Sasuke's behavior since this morning but didn't feel the need to really ask until now.

"Hey, Sasuke?" He asked carefully. Sasuke only response that he heard him was a hm. "Everything okay? You seem tense." Sasuke stopped to look at his friend.

"Naruto."

"Yea."

"Get out." Naruto didn't need to be told twice. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke went back to work and it wasn't until the clock said 12:40 pm, that Sasuke officially stopped working. Closing out of all the programs, he shut down his computer and grabbed his jacket. Leaving his office, Sasuke passed by Naruto's open door.

"Hey teme, where are you going?" Naruto asked from his desk. Sasuke had hoped he could walk out before being notice by his friend but today wasn't his unlucky day it seemed. He stepped back into the Naruto's doorway and turned to look at him.

"Out, for lunch." Sasuke replied. Naruto glanced at his watch. Realizing what time it was, Naruto lips broke out into a huge grin.

"This lunch wouldn't happen to be with a second person. Someone who's name begins with, oh I don't know, maybe a T?" Naruto teased. Sasuke knew it was coming but it still annoyed the hell out of him.

"Shut it dobe." He snapped before leaving.

"See you in an hour." Naruto called out, laughing at his friends departure.

The place wasn't to far off, just a few minutes down the road from the office. It was a small café that Sasuke and Naruto often order lunch from when they couldn't really leave the office to eat. As Sasuke entered the establishment, the woman behind the counter greeted him. He nodded back and then turned to the corner table by the window. The table was already occupied by a woman who seemed entirely engrossed in the book that was in her hand. The sight of her brought a smile to his face. He stepped over to the table; his footsteps alerting her to his presence. She looked up from the book and when their eyes meet a smile graced her face. Tenten grabbed the bookmark that was resting on the table and placed it back in the book. As Sasuke reached the table, she had placed the book into her bag.

"Hey." Sasuke mumbled as he leaned down, pressing his lips against her forehead.

"Hey." Her voice was soft. Sasuke took the seat the across from her as the woman from behind the counter approached their table.

"Do I even need to ask?" She asked, looking coyly at the pair. Tenten chuckled softly and shook her head at the woman. The woman gave them one last smile before heading to the kitchen to place their order. Sasuke, on the other hand, kept his gaze on Tenten, admiring how the light the illuminated her brown eyes. For just a second, his gaze shifted to the necklace that was adorned on her neck. When Tenten turned back to Sasuke, she realized his intensity of his gaze. Playfully she kicked from under the table.

"What are you doing?" Tenten asked in a hushed tone. Sasuke brought his gaze back up to hers and smirked in response.

"Admiring the view." The statement brought a light blush to her face. Placing his hand on the table, he turned his palm upwards inviting her to take his hand. Without any hesitation she took it. The two sat in silence for moment, enjoying the presence of each other. Sasuke's gaze roamed over with it finally landing back on the necklace with the two silver bands. Tenten noticed his gaze and looked down, realizing what he was looking at.

"I should stop wearing it. It's silly really." Tenten chided herself. Sasuke grasp tightened softly around her hand.

"No, it isn't." Sasuke whispered. Tenten gave him a questioning look. "He was your first real love." His words reignited the smile on her lips. Before Sasuke could even react, Tenten and stood up out of her chair and leaned across the small table. Her lips pressed firmly against his.

Pulling away slightly, Tenten looked him in the eye. "And who knows, you might be my second one." Sasuke couldn't resist after her words and pulled her back to his lips. Her soft lips on his, slowly molding together. Time seemed all but still to them. Sasuke pulled away this time, studying the look of pure bliss on her face. A single crossed through is mind in that moment.

 _I could never replace you Neji, but hell if she lets me, I will do everything I can to make her happy._

"Not to interrupt to two lovebirds but I have some food for you." The woman had returned to the table with a tray that contained two plates and two mugs for them. Tenten returned to her seat as the woman began to place everything down in front of them. Tenten thanked the woman before she left. Then looking to Sasuke she nodded to the food.

"Shall we?"

 _"A woman who opens her heart to love you, when it is already broken, is braver than any person you will meet." - Steven Benson_

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Thank you to all of you who read through the entire story. I hope you enjoyed and that it met any expectations or hopes you could have possible created while reading this. Please feel free to review and let me know what you think about it or what you thought about the writing. I really enjoyed/struggled to write this because tackling a situation like this can really involve some deep emotions and I hope I could convey that even just a little bit. Thanks again!


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